Yara Halasa
Dental Science graduate from Aleppo University with MSc from Bocconi University and Brandeis University, pursuing PhD in Social Policy and Management-Health Policy. Currently working at Brandeis University as Research Associate.
| Headline: | Entrepreneur |
| Skills: | Business, Leadership, Management, Public speaking |
| Groups: | Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship (QRCE) |
| Interested in: | Brainstorming, Finding business partners, Finding cofounders, Finding team mates, Meeting new people, Professional opportunities, Promoting my startups, Recruiting for my startup |
| Schools: | Brandeis University |
WORK EXPERIENCE
| Employer: | Schneider Institutes for Health Policy/ Heller School for Social Policy and Management/Brandeis University: Waltham, MA, USA |
| Position: | Research Associate |
| Time period: | August 2007 - Present |
| Description: | • Main duties
o Analyze and develop papers related to health care financing in developing countries. o Assist in developing a global health system data base; specifically data related to health utilization and financing using household surveys such as Living Standards and measurements Surveys and Demographic and Health Surveys. o Ad hoc support to team members in various research fields including evaluation, costing, international health systems and financing. o Support academic programs. • Achievements o Implementing a cost benefit analysis for an integrated mosquito control program in New Jersey using willingness to pay methodology. o Implementing a value and impact study of Joint Commission International (JCI) International Hospital Accreditation program. o Participated in developing two proposals to the Gates Foundation; the first related to donors' efficiency, and the second related to tracking health systems in developing countries. o Analyzed the impact of donor’s vertical programs on national health systems in African countries using a fixed effect model. o Conducted cost projections for HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Botswana. o Assisted in developing a framework highlighting the role of health systems in the provision of new technologies in low and middle income countries. |
| Employer: | Brandeis University: Waltham, MA, USA |
| Position: | Teaching Experience |
| Time period: | August 2007 - October 2008 |
| Description: | • Gave practical sessions on measuring health inequalities using methods such as Gini-Coefficient and Concentration Index.
• Teaching Assistant for Professor Donald S. Shepard’s cost benefit and cost effectiveness courses; Cost Benefit and Cost Effectiveness Analysis, and Advanced Techniques of Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit Analysis. Main tasks include searching for the latest articles and methodologies relevant to the field. Assist in developing homework exercises and final exam. Grade assignments and final papers. Conducted practical training sessions. • Teaching Assistant for Professor A.K. Nandakumar’s International Health Systems course. Main tasks include searching for the latest articles and documents relevant to the field. Assist in developing homework exercises. Grade assignments and final papers. Conduct discussion and practical training sessions. |
| Employer: | World Health Organization: Regional Office of the Eastern Mediterranean |
| Position: | Consultancy |
| Time period: | July 2007 - December 2007 |
| Description: | • Conducted an intensive research and mapping of the health care financing in Jordan. A report was submitted illustrating findings and recommendations. |
| Employer: | League of Arab States: Pan-Arab Project for Family Health Unit (PAPFAM) |
| Position: | Consultancy |
| Time period: | December 2006 - March 2007 |
| Description: | • Conducted a cross sectional analysis of Poverty and Health in Yemen for the years 1991/2- 1997 and 2003. A detailed report was submitted illustrating findings and recommendations for action. |
| Employer: | Health Communication Partnership/Johns Hopkins University: Amman, Jordan |
| Position: | Communication Research Specialist |
| Time period: | July 2006 - August 2007 |
| Description: | • Conducted qualitative research on factors influencing the decision to space between births in Jordan.
• Provided technical support in designing data collection instruments, preparing sampling designs, training research personnel, overseeing field operations, preparing analysis/tabulation plans with in-country researchers, and writing field research reports. • Developed monitoring and evaluation tools and documents. • Conducted an in-depth analysis for the predicted impact of JHCP various project components. • Developed the SHBCC P-Process tools published by JHCP aiming to illustrate the different research tools needed in the various steps of the P-Process (a step by step road map for communication professionals to follow in strategic planning and implementation). |
| Employer: | Research Triangle Institute International (RTI) Iraq’s Ministry of Health.: Amman, Jordan |
| Position: | Consultancy |
| Time period: | June 2006 - July 2006 |
| Description: | • Assisted in developing the Arabic version of the National Health Accounts training materials.
• Prepared and presented two lectures related to the National Health Accounts concepts and Analysis. • Conducted training sessions. |
| Employer: | Jordan University of Science and Technology: Irbid, Jordan |
| Position: | Adjunct Lecturer |
| Time period: | May 2005 - August 2005 |
| Description: | • Designed and taught a course in Health Policy for undergraduates, Department of Health Services Administration, Faculty of Medicine.
• Assigned as an external committee member to evaluate a master’s degree dissertation entitled The Relationship between Maternal Periodontal Diseases and Preeclampsia. |
| Employer: | Abt Associates/Partners for Health Reform plus (PHRplus) Project funded by US AID: Amman, Jordan |
| Position: | Technical Coordinator for Healthcare Policy |
| Time period: | January 2005 - August 2005 |
| Description: | • Managed overall coordination of three components of PHRplus Project (Hospital Accreditation, Hospital Decentralization/Hospital System Improvement, and Rational Drug Use Strategy), including regular updates on deadlines and deliverables to project leaders, coordinating workshops, maintaining tight project schedules, and researching pertinent information.
• Assumed responsibilities for technical aspects of the project, including research proposals, data analysis, and reporting. • Served as interface between PHRplus project component managers and other stakeholders, including facilitation of learning and information process, and accumulation of interventions process and feedback. • Assisted chief of party in developing pain management and patient satisfaction survey sampling and tools, for Ministry of Health hospitals. |
| Employer: | Ministry of Health: Amman, Jordan |
| Position: | Research Associate for Health Policy and Planning at the Health Economics Directorate |
| Time period: | August 2002 - December 2004 |
| Description: | • Prepared terms of reference for the newly established Directorate.
• Contributed to the “Situation Analysis for Morbidity and Risk Factors Affecting Health in Jordan” report submitted to the Ministry of Health in Greece. Based on this report, an agreement to fund primary healthcare projects was signed between Jordan and Greece. • Prepared the Jordanian Burden of Disease and Injury proposal. • Worked with the National Health Accounts team to evaluate and analyze the available data, and prepare for the National Health Account Report for years 2000-2001. |
| Employer: | Cooperazione Internazional (COOPI): Milan, Italy |
| Position: | Consultancy |
| Time period: | April 2002 - July 2002 |
| Description: | Internship as a requirement of the Masters in International Healthcare Management Economics and Policy
External adviser for COOPI’s project in Aden, Yemen • Evaluated the cost recovery scheme conducted by COOPI in several cities in Southern Yemen. • A report was submitted to the EU and Bocconi University entitled “On Going Evaluation of a Pilot Cost Recovery Scheme Implemented by COOI/Yemen” upon completion of this period. • Worked with project team to evaluate impact of project and outline main needs for second phase. |
| Employer: | Ministry of Health: Amman, Jordan |
| Position: | Dentist at Balqa, Jordan |
| Time period: | November 1996 - September 2001 |
| Description: | • Conducted oral hygiene education and provided dental care for school children and residents of Balqa governorate.
• Conducted an applied research for preventive dentistry funded by Rotary Club, Jordan. |
EDUCATION
| University: | Brandeis University |
| Time period: | 2005 - 2006 |
| Degree: | International Health Policy and Management, MSc |
| University: | Brandeis University |
| Time period: | 2008 - Present |
| Degree: | Social Policy and Management-Health Policy Concentration, PhD |
PUBLICATIONS
| Articles: | • Halasa Y., Nassar H. and Zaky H. Benefit Incidence Analysis of the Government Spending on Ministry of Health Outpatient Services in Jordan. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, World Health Organization. (In print)
• Halasa Y. and Nandakumar A.K. Factors Determining Choice of Healthcare Providers in Jordan. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, World Health Organization. (In print) • Banks D. and Halasa Y. August 2005. Patient Satisfaction and Pain Management in Ministry of Health Hospitals in Jordan, Bethesda, MD: The Partners for Health Reformplus Project, Abt Associates Inc. http://www.healthsystems2020.org/content/resource/detail/... |
INFORMATION
| Awards: | • BioVision.Nxt 2007 Fellowship: participate in BioVision.Nxt class of 2007 and The World Life Sciences Forum: BioVision 2007. Lyon, France (March, 2007).
• Research fellowship: preformed research on Benefit Incidence Analysis for Government Spending on Outpatient Visits in Jordan, at the Social Research Center, The American University in Cairo, sponsored by Mellon Foundation and the Wellcome Trust. Cairo, Egypt (November-December 2004). |
Yara's Startups (3)
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Commit to Health
Improved access and interaction with personlaized health information creating the webs largest health community.
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Sustainable Health
Expand existing health infrastructure (mainly Medical Research Council) in The Gambia to tackle HIV/AIDS in the region. Given the countries geography we will use a boat-clinic to provide health education and prevention. To ensure its sustainabil...
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